Another Warlord dead?
The remaining four Elders all changed expressions.
White-haired, long-bearded Five Elder Marcus Maz handed out the latest intelligence in his hand. After each person read it, the conference room fell into silence once more.
After a long moment, the blond Five Elder spoke with a grim face:
"No matter what, the Warlord system cannot be shaken. Our top priority now is to fill the vacancy."
The Elder in a kimono, Nasujuro, narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean…?"
"Rather than letting him continue to create chaos, it's better to try to draw him in," the blond Elder closed the file. "The Warlord system was established to balance power on the seas. Since he was able to defeat both Crocodile and Hanazawa back to back, his strength clearly places him among the top Warlords. If we can recruit him, he'll be an even more useful pawn."
"That guy doesn't seem like the type to easily submit."
Saturn frowned. "In just over a month, he's already committed so many atrocities. He must be an ambitious and defiant individual. The Warlord title is something most pirates would die for, but for him, it may not be all that tempting."
"Precisely because of that, he needs to be controlled."
Nasujuro pushed up his glasses. "I agree with Saturn's view. The situation in the New World is tense—we need an Admiral on standby at all times. And over at Enies Lobby, until reconstruction is complete, a large number of troops are still needed."
"The Navy Headquarters can't spare the forces for a full-scale hunt anytime soon. Letting him roam freely will only worsen the chaos. If we can use the title of Warlord to restrain him, at least we can stabilize things for now."
"What if he outright refuses?" Saturn asked coldly.
"Then send in CP0 to fill in the manpower gap and assist in the purge," Nasujuro said calmly.
"Even if we can't capture him, we must at least force him into the New World. We can't allow him to continue rampaging in Paradise. Hanazawa was Kaido's friend—once he hears this man has entered the New World, the Beasts Pirates won't let it slide."
"That's a valid point. I second it."
"I second it as well."
"Agreed."
"Once the Warlord pact is drafted, who will deliver the letter?"
"Let that guy make the trip…"
In the flickering light of the meeting room, the five men spoke one after another, quickly reaching a silent consensus.
———
At the same time.
Alabasta, side hall of the royal palace.
"Uncle Cobra, thank you for your generous hospitality tonight."
"A mere banquet is nothing—if anything, we should be thanking you."
King Cobra leaned back against the bedhead, his voice weak but his eyes sincere as he looked at Shano:
"If it weren't for you and your companions, the tragedy at the Santora River mouth might have been unavoidable. You saved the merchants and the people on the riverbanks—and helped our royal family save face."
"Not to mention the situation with Crocodile. That man was plotting to overthrow the royal family all along, and I never even noticed…"
Hmm?
Shano looked surprised. "Uncle, you already know?"
He hadn't even said anything yet.
Just to be sure, when they first arrived in Alabasta, the Fallen Star had deliberately docked overnight at Rapeseed Port.
First, to return Binky—yes, Robin's turtle had been rented from a local travel agency there.
Second, because Robin's private base was nearby, where she had kept records of communications with Crocodile—proof enough to expose him.
But judging by things now, it looked like they didn't even need those records.
"Yes, Lord Shano."
Cobra nodded slightly, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. He sighed:
"In these past two days, our guards searched the entire capital and areas where Crocodile had previously been active around Rainbase. They found several hidden bases—what we discovered there was truly chilling."
"If he hadn't been defeated by you, Lord Shano, our entire country would've remained in the dark. The consequences are unimaginable."
Ah, that explains it.
The Royal Army was surprisingly efficient.
Well, it made sense. At this point in time, Alabasta had not yet fallen into rebellion or civil war—Cobra still had full control of the nation.
Of course, if Crocodile were still alive, there's no way the guards would've found those bases—he would've cleaned them out at the first sign of danger.
And out of trust and admiration for this "national hero," Cobra wouldn't have even thought to search.
But Crocodile was dead.
And he had died so suddenly—ambushing Shano at Whisky Peak, likely thinking it would be an easy job. But he never returned, leaving all that evidence behind to be discovered.
"So you see, Lord Shano—you've saved this country twice!"
"This debt of gratitude will never be forgotten. From this day forward, you and your companions are forever friends and benefactors of the Kingdom of Alabasta."
Cobra solemnly raised his right hand to his chest and gave the highest ceremonial bow of the royal family. "Whenever you need help, all of Alabasta will stand by your side."
"You're too kind, Uncle."
Shano smiled. "But speaking of which, there is something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Please, go ahead," Cobra said quickly.
Shano spoke frankly:
"Before he died, Crocodile begged me to spare his life and told me a lot of things—including something about your royal family's secret: the Poneglyph you've been protecting."
"Besides trying to overthrow Alabasta and establish some dream nation of his, what Crocodile really cared about was that stone. After all, it contains the location of Pluton, right?"
Cobra froze slightly.
He subconsciously looked up, meeting the clear gaze of the black-haired youth. Then, with a bitter smile, he nodded:
"That's true. I suppose it's only natural for you to be curious. But I really can't take you to see the actual ancient weapon. That stone only reveals its location—the Pluton itself is not…"
"Not in Alabasta, but in Wano, under Kaido's control. Right?"
"…Yes."
Cobra nodded without thinking, then suddenly widened his eyes. "Wait—how did you know that?!"
This was a secret the Nefertari family had guarded for 800 years!
Even Robin, who had been quietly listening, finally turned her head and looked at Shano.
"Oh, Kaido already found Pluton a long time ago," Shano said casually, blinking. "Otherwise, why do you think he's so reluctant to leave Wano and keeps his base right next to it?"
He grinned.
"Hanazawa told me that before he died. He was Kaido's good buddy after all, and he'd spent time in Wano."
Of course, that was a lie.
The Pluton was buried beneath Wano—that much was true. Kaido had definitely found out about it by now.
But no matter what, he wouldn't easily tell that to an outsider like Hanafuda, and Hanafuda would be even less likely to tell him.
Still...
Someone had to take the fall.
After all, dead men tell no tales—and as for lying, Shano had been able to do it without batting an eye since many years ago.
"Kaido already knows?"
Cobra's face instantly turned pale. He struggled to sit up, his voice trembling.
"H-How could this happen...?"
Even the actual body of Pluton had been found. Then what meaning did the secret they had guarded for so long even have?
Shano shrugged.
"That's just how it is. Anyway, no one can say for sure when Pluton will resurface, or how long you all can keep this secret. But leaving this stone here in Alabasta will only continue to attract those who covet it and bring disaster to the country. So why not cut off the source entirely and just give it to me?"
"Hmm?"
Cobra looked puzzled.
Someone like Crocodile had gone to great lengths to find this Poneglyph, driven by the information about Pluton inscribed on it.
But this Shano already knew all those secrets.
So what use did the Poneglyph itself even have?
"It's because I'm not the least bit interested in Pluton," Shano said with a laugh, seemingly reading his confusion.
"What I actually want… is the stone itself."
"The stone?"
Cobra was stunned.
It was the first time he'd heard someone describe a Poneglyph like that.
But thinking about it… it kind of made sense.
For a man who stood so close to the top of the world, not even thick steel could serve as decent training material. No wonder he had his eye on the Poneglyph.
Cobra lowered his head, deep in thought for a moment.
"I understand."
He looked up at Shano, his tone solemn.
"If it will truly help your strength grow, then please take it. It may not be enough to repay your kindness, but it's the only thing I can offer you now. And if it can help you become even stronger, then all the better."
Even before this meeting…
The black-haired young man in front of him had already proven his character through action.
And now, speaking so frankly, only deepened that trust.
If he wanted to, he could have just taken it by force. He had already personally defeated two Warlords of the Sea. If he really meant to do something, who in the whole Alabasta capital could stop him?
To help a man like that grow stronger—Cobra was more than willing.
He even naively hoped that the world might one day be filled with more people like Shano.
It might not bring drastic change to the era, but… to the people struggling to survive in this chaotic world, it could only be a good thing.
Half an hour later.
In the underground chamber of the royal tomb.
In the dim chamber, a massive square slab of stone stood tall.
Under the flickering torchlight, the ancient characters carved into the surface glinted with a cold, metallic sheen—as if whispering of 800 years of history.
Robin stood in front of the stone, her fingertips gently brushing the familiar writing.
These were the same characters she had seen countless times in Ohara's archives. Now, seeing them up close… it felt like a dream.
"The Poneglyph…"
She murmured, her voice echoing through the cavern.
Was this really how easily she would take the first step in her lifelong quest?
Though she'd already heard most of the historical content from Shano and Cobra's earlier conversation—and it mostly matched up…
Still.
This was the real thing.
Had it really been this easy to find?
Something she'd buried deep in her heart as a dream too impossible to hope for—now, it didn't seem so far off.
She looked at Shano on the other side of the stone, remaining silent.
…
Shano, on the other hand, was completely unaware of Robin's inner thoughts.
He stood at the other side, running his hand along the cold, smooth surface with keen interest.
What a texture! Definitely unique!
Well then—time to give it a try.
He took two steps back, steadied his breath, clenched his fist—and instantly coated it in Armament Haki.
Then he punched.
BOOM—!!
A heavy impact shook the underground chamber, dust raining from the ceiling.
But the Poneglyph remained completely unmoved—not even a single scratch, much less a dent.
"Whoa."
Even though Shano was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.
That punch may have looked casual, but it packed a serious punch. He had even applied internal destruction.
Even the thickest steel would have shattered from the inside.
But here? The Haki from his fist was like a pebble thrown into the sea—instantly swallowed, vanished without a trace.
Shano grinned wide.
This thing's a treasure!
This trip to the capital was worth it just for this.
Hanafuda in his T-Rex form had made a great punching bag…
But this Poneglyph? It was on another level entirely.
Without a doubt, this stone could serve him for a very long time as the ultimate training equipment—for honing Armament Haki and tempering his physical body.
Destroying it? Probably impossible. Even Im-sama might not be able to do that.
Otherwise, why would these Poneglyphs still exist all around the world?
But the day he could leave a mark on it—that would be the day his Haki and body had undergone a complete transformation.
"Seriously," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Why hasn't anyone thought of putting this thing to proper use before?"
Forget training.
With so many weird Devil Fruit users out there, combining their abilities with Poneglyphs could create serious combat advantages.
Sure, cutting it might be impossible—but using it as a weapon? That could work.
Take Golden Lion, for example. If he had a few Poneglyphs floating around him like armor…
What could possibly break through that?
Even if Garp and Sengoku teamed up again, they'd struggle to leave a scratch.
Shano considered it further.
If, one day, he was strong enough to leave grip-sized indentations in the surface—he could use it as a flail! Swinging a legendary chunk of history around like a meteor hammer? Now that sounded insane.
But that was all in the future.
Right now, the most important thing was to get it back to the Duskfall.
He crouched down, hooked his fingers beneath the base of the stone, muscles bulging.
"Up we go!"
With a grunt, the enormous Poneglyph was wrenched free from its pedestal and hoisted up onto his shoulder.
Hmm, not even that heavy—definitely lighter than Hanafuda.
From the capital to the riverbank, it was over a hundred kilometers…
But with his stamina, he could carry it in one go, no problem.
"Let's go, Robin!"
Robin looked at Shano's retreating figure, the stone on his back, then turned to glance one last time at the empty chamber.
Suddenly, she laughed softly.
Back when he'd invited her aboard on the back of the giant turtle, saying he was also interested in the Poneglyphs because their goals aligned—
She'd thought he was just saying that to comfort her.
Who would've guessed he'd actually meant it?
It's just that…
Just that his interest in the Poneglyphs was slightly different from hers in a rather bizarre way.
Early the next morning.
The Duskfall departed the heart of the kingdom, heading south toward the river mouth—personally seen off by King Cobra.
People on both sides waved farewell. Vivi and Nami cried the hardest, their faces streaked with tears.
"Nami! Don't forget to call me!"
"I won't! You take care of yourself too!"
The two girls shouted across the river, their voices lingering in the morning breeze.
Shano glanced over.
The two had slept together last night. Whatever they talked about, it clearly made them click. In less than two days, they'd become fast friends—shared numbers, and promised to keep in touch.
As for Shano—who had been the center of attention just yesterday—he was suddenly left in the background.
But that suited him just fine.
Even before the goodbyes were over, he was already grinning, coffee in hand (brewed personally by Robin), and heading straight for the training room.